Kolkata: BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Wednesday blamed the Gandhi family for twice denying the opportunity to Pranab Mukherjee to be the country's prime minister.

"When Indira Gandhi was assassinated Rajiv Gandhi was in Kolkata and he went back. Under a democracy, that time the senior-most minister in Indira Gandhi's government was Pranab Mukherjee. It would have been good had he been sworn in as the country's prime minister," Modi told a party rally at Brigade Parade grounds here.

Narendra Modi. Pic/AFP

"They didn't give it. Not only that, the family (Gandhi) felt that something is going on. So when the Rajiv Gandhi government was formed, senior-most minister Pranabda was not even taken as a minister," he said.

"Again in 2004, Pranabda was the senior-most politician. It was very natural that had madam Sonia Gandhi not wanted to become (the PM), then the opportunity should have been given to Pranabda, but Manmohan Singhji was made (the PM). Pranabda was not given the opportunity," Modi said.

He urged the people of Bengal not to forget this. "People of Bengal should not forget this. I request you," the Gujarat chief minister said.

1 Comments

western boy06-Feb-2014

Crocodile Tears, Double Speak. Why was he silent when Pranab was denied the post. If he was really such a great desh bakht, he should have voiced his concern about having a able prime minister back then .All these years it was okay for him if a able person was not made a prime minister. He remained silent at the stake of the country suffering from a bad prime minister. So Modi chooses the well being of Bharat Mata as per his convenience. What a Banya? Wonder what he does if he becomes the P.M.